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*sb0775*
SENATE BILL 775
E1 6lr0718
SB 444/25 – JPR
By: Senator Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Gun Buyback Programs – Destruction of Firearms 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a federal firearms licensee or law enforcement agency 3
operating a gun buyback program to destroy each firearm, including all components 4
and parts attached to the firearm, that is traded in at a certain gun buyback 5
program; authorizing a federal firearms licensee or law enfor cement agency to 6
contract with a law enforcement agency or a business to destroy certain firearms; 7
requiring the Secretary of State Police to revoke a certain person’s dealer’s license if 8
the person violates the provisions of this Act; prohibiting a person from operating a 9
gun buyback program except in accordance with certain requirements; requiring a 10
law enforcement agency operating a gun buyback program to make reasonable 11
efforts to determine whether a firearm is a crime firearm or has been reported lost 12
or stolen before the firearm or its component parts may be destroyed; and generally 13
relating to gun buyback programs. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Public Safety 16
Section 5–114(b) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Public Safety 21
Section 5–901 through 5–905 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 9. Gun Buyback 22
Programs” 23
2 SENATE BILL 775
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4
Article – Public Safety 5
5–114. 6
(b) The Secretary shall revoke a dealer’s license if: 7
(1) it is discovered that false information has been supplied or false 8
statements have been made in an application required by this subtitle; or 9
(2) the licensee: 10
(i) is convicted of a disqualifying crime; 11
(ii) is convicted of a violation classified as a common law crime and 12
receives a term of imprisonment of more than 2 years; 13
(iii) is a fugitive from justice; 14
(iv) is a habitual drunkard; 15
(v) is addicted to a controlled dangerous substance or is a habitual 16
user; 17
(vi) has spent more than 30 consecutive days in a medical institution 18
for treatment of a ment al disorder, unless the licensee produces a physician’s certificate, 19
issued after the last institutionalization and certifying that the licensee is capable of 20
possessing a regulated firearm without undue danger to the licensee or to another; 21
(vii) has knowingly or willfully manufactured, offered to sell, or sold 22
a handgun not on the handgun roster in violation of § 5–406 of this title; 23
(viii) has knowingly or willfully participated in a straw purchase of a 24
regulated firearm; 25
(ix) is convicted of a crime under Subtitle 7 of this title; [or] 26
(x) is found in violation of a third or subsequent offense under § 27
5–145.1 of this subtitle; OR 28
(XI) VIOLATES SUBTITLE 9 OF THIS TITLE. 29
SENATE BILL 775 3
SUBTITLE 9. GUN BUYBACK PROGRAMS. 1
5–901. 2
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 3
INDICATED. 4
(B) “FIREARM” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 5–101 OF THIS TITLE. 5
(C) “GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM” MEANS A PROGRAM THAT IS OPERATED BY 6
A FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT: 7
(1) ALLOWS F IREARM OWNERS TO VOL UNTARILY SURRENDER 8
FIREARMS; 9
(2) IS OPERATED , EITHER EXPLICITLY OR IMPLIEDLY, FOR THE 10
PURPOSE OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FIREARMS IN A COMMUNITY; AND 11
(3) ADVERTISES THAT FIRE ARMS THAT ARE SURREN DERED TO THE 12
PROGRAM WILL BE DESTROYED OR MADE PERMANENTLY INOPERABLE. 13
(D) “SECRETARY” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 5–101 OF THIS TITLE. 14
5–902. 15
(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A FIREARM IF A LAW ENFORCEMENT 16
AGENCY DETERMINES THAT THE FIREARM IS STOLEN OR IS EVIDENCE OF A CRIME. 17
(B) (1) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , A 18
FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OPERATING A GUN 19
BUYBACK PROGRAM SHAL L DESTROY EACH FIREARM, INCLUDING EVERY 20
COMPONENT AND PART A TTACHED TO THE FIREA RM, THAT IS SURRENDERED TO 21
THE FEDERAL FIREARMS LIC ENSEE OR LAW ENFORCE MENT AGENCY AT A GUN 22
BUYBACK PROGRAM. 23
(II) THE DESTRUCTION REQUI RED UNDER SUBPARAGRA PH (I) 24
OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL MAKE THE FIREARM AND EVERY COMPONENT AND PART 25
ATTACHED TO THE FIREARM PERMANENTLY INOPERABLE AND UNREPAIRABLE. 26
(2) A FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY 27
MAY CONTRACT WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY OR A BUSINESS TO SATISFY 28
THE REQUIREMENT UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 29
4 SENATE BILL 775
(C) A FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT 1
VIOLATES THIS SECTIO N IS SUBJECT TO A FI NE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000 PER 2
VIOLATION. 3
(D) IF A PERSON VIOLATES THIS SECTION AND THE PERSON HOLDS A 4
DEALER’S LICENSE UNDER § 5–106 OF THIS TITLE: 5
(1) THE PERSON SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PENAL TY PROVIDED IN 6
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION; AND 7
(2) THE SECRETARY SHALL REVOK E THE PERSON ’S DEALER ’S 8
LICENSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 5–114 OF THIS TITLE. 9
5–903. 10
(A) A PERSON MAY NOT OPERA TE A GUN BUYBACK PRO GRAM EXCEPT IN 11
ACCORDANCE WITH § 5–902 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 12
(B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR 13
AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000. 14
5–904. 15
A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT RECEIVES A FIREARM AS PART OF A GUN 16
BUYBACK PROGRAM UNDE R THIS SUBTITLE SHAL L MAKE REASONABLE EFFO RTS, 17
INCLUDING A CHECK OF THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER DATABASE, 18
TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FIREARM IS A CRI ME FIREARM OR HAS BE EN 19
REPORTED AS LOST OR STOLEN BEFORE THE FI REARM OR ITS COMPONENT PARTS 20
MAY BE DESTROYED AS REQUIRED UNDER § 5–902 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 21
5–905. 22
NOTHING IN THIS SUBTITLE MAY BE INTERPRETED AS AN EXCEPTION TO ANY 23
OTHER REQUIREMENT OR RESTRICTION UNDER STATE OR FEDERAL LAW RELATING 24
TO THE PURCHASE, RENTAL, LOAN, OR TRANSFER OF A FIREARM. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE I T FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2026. 27